


Guiding Light

by ActualCrqckhead



Series: Percival Shorts [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:54:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28823295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ActualCrqckhead/pseuds/ActualCrqckhead
Series: Percival Shorts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2113323





	Guiding Light

there's something chilling about hearing a series of sirens drive past in the direction of your home. there's the little voice in the back of your head asking "what if". what if the smoke steadily rising into the clouds is coming from your home. what if it's your house actively turning to ash.

  
there's something terrible about hearing a familiar tone coming from your pocket after you've forgotten about the sirens, turning on the screen to see and unknown number flashing before you, answering to hear your name for confirmation followed by "this is [redacted] police department, we have some unfortunate news, please come in as soon as you can."

  
Percival was only sixteen when he got this call, sitting in the park with the ducks. he couldn't help the shudder that ran up his spine, sending chills across the rest of his body. he accepted this information and hung up, standing to prepare himself for whatever it was the police had to tell him, suspecting that it was just one of his uncles needing to be bailed out again for something petty.

  
It wasn't a long walk to the precinct, only twenty minutes, not that he was counting. the doors were open when he arrived, there were a handful of officers standing around the front desk seeming in a serious conversation, so he just walked around them and waited until he caught the receptionists attention. she got a sad look on her face when he identified himself, and pointed him to a lone chair in the hallway, he obeyed and sat to wait, still unsure of what was happening. An officer with a kind looking face walked over after a short while and summoned him into what seemed to be an interrogation room where he was told to sit.

  
"I want to start with, you're not being interrogated or anything so don't worry." he took a deep breath before continuing, "however, the information I'm about to share with you is... not great, so you may need these." he set a box of tissues on the table before sitting opposite to the boy.

  
"what do you mean? if it's about Karlos going to prison again I can handle it, he'll only be in there for like six months anyway." Percival was still confused, surely it wasn't as serious as it was being made out to be.

  
"no, Percival, it's not that. I'm sorry to break the news like this, but Karlos is gone.. dead, so is everyone else who lived at the address [redacted], the house burned down. do you have anyone you can stay with until the situation can be settled, perhaps out of town---" his ears were ringing and anything said beyond was missed entirely. everything was gone. the only people he had relationships with were gone. everything he owned and loved, gone, ash, nothing. he didn't have anything left.

"can I see it?"

"see what?"

  
"the house. I want to see if there's anything I can salvage"

  
"uh, sure, I'll have to talk to my superior first, but I can take you there"

* * *

Standing in front of the caution tape really set in the seriousness of the situation. the fire was completely put out, no longer smoking. there were still a few fire trucks and ambulances scattered around. the officer was talking to one of the firefighters about getting the kid a respirator before he started going around the rubble. Percival, of course, didn't care about that and just lifted the tape to go in, ignoring the argument of the officer trying to stop him. there was barely anything left of the house, only parts of the frame, reminiscent of the Baudelaire house. there wasn't much of importance left that he could find, some busted photo frames, cutlery, useless things he didn't care for. he was looking around for a good while until something caught his eye, a reflection of light hitting just right. quickly going over to recover it, he found it to be a chain with a small silver skull threaded on. with finding it, something inside snapped, and suddenly his cheeks felt warm, his face wet and eyes blurring. he recognized the necklace as the one always worn around Karlos' neck, the man he considered his father, or at least something very close to one. he broke down, collapsing to his knees, holding the charm close to his chest as the officer walked over and offered a comforting hand.

  
"c'mon kid, let's get you out of here," he said softly, helping him up and leading him away from the scene. the next step was to try find him some kind of family to take care of him. not much of an easy quest when the person in question is an orphan and unwilling to cooperate entirely.

  
For the time being, he was sent to a temporary foster family. it didn't last very long as he left almost a month later, without even a note to say why or where he was going. he was labeled as a runaway and forgotten about. for now.


End file.
